The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-12-21
Plumb's Resolution Regarding Sxsnaoa'a
Sugar Patent Discussed.
Stewards Coin Csrtfcits Bill Sent to toe
Committee on finance.
Inqui,ing Into the AttOrney-GeneraPs
Right to Sue to Vacate Patent-Ex-
ecutiVe SessiOn-Notes.

ington proposing to present to the United
States a marble bust of Garibaldi as "a
link in the chain of a sympathy which all
freemen feel for the champions of liberty
and republican government Referred to
Comm ittee on Library.
Bills were introduced and referred as fol-
lows:
BY Senator Call To prohibit United
States Judges and Courts from authorizing
the borrowing of money by receivers OF
railroad and other corporations beyond the
amount of their annual income; also to
prohibit the appointment of such re-
ceivers WI thout evidence Of the finsncial
condition of the company. He moved
their reference to the Committee on Inter
State Commerce.
Senator Edmunds moved their reference
to the Judiciary Committee.
Senator Call opposed that reference, on
the ground that like bills had been before
the committee last Congress and had re-
ceived no attention. His opinion was that
no relief would be afforded to the people
by the Judiciary Committee in the consld-
Grafton of bills of such character.
Senator Edmunds confessed that the Ju-
dietary Committee was not very much in
clined to interfere with the exercise of dis
CretiOn by the courts. He Withdrew his
amendment The bills were thereupon re.
feiTed TO the Committee on Interstate
Commerce.
Other bills were introduced and referred
as follows:
By Senator George-To protect employees
and servants engaged in interstate COM
meTce, and in the Territories and District
of Columbia.
By Senator Hosr-To extend the general
and mining laws over the Territory OF
Alaska. Also to facilitate the settlement
and develop the resources of Alaska and TO
open an overland commercial route be.
tween the United States, Asiatic Russia
and japan.
By Senator Plumb-To forfeit lands
granted TO the State of Michigan for a rail-
road from Marquette to Ontonagan.
By Senator CUke-To limit the jurisdic-
ton of the United States Circuit and dis
trict courts.
The resolution offered some days ago by
Senator Plumb Wss taken up directing
the Attorney. General to investigate the
issue of a patent TO Magnus STenson, last
October, in connection with the manufac-
tUre of sugar from sorghum and. If INVALID,
TO commence suit to have the patent can
celed, (the point being that Mr.. Swenson
was an emplOye Of the Agricultural De-
partment while making the experiments
out of which the patent resulted). Sena-
tor Plumb hoped that the resolution would
be adopted, as the question inYovled was q
very important enc. The resolution, he
said, did not imply censure on the Com
missioner of Agriculture, who had been
very jealous and active in all matters
relating to the development of the
sorghum sugar industry.
Senator Edmunds suggested that there
were two difficulties in the way of the reso-
luton. One was that this was the first
time, or one of the first times, that the
Senate had called upon the head of a de-
partment to do anything afirmatively in
in regard to any part of the public bust
ness, In some cases the Secretary of the
Interior had been requested to suspend
some action pending action on
the subject by Congress. Cues;
to 1.-THE Attorney-Genersl, while acting
under the direction OF the President. An
other formidable difficulty was mot in his
own mind, but in the minds OF some
| judgesl whether the Attorney. General had
/ a right TO bring suit to lnvalidate a pat
ent unless by authority of Congress. He
\ thought that the resolution should be
/ referred to the Committee on Patents, and
be made that motion.
After further discussion by Messrs
Plumb, salisbury, Riddleberger, Call
Hoar, Gray, Butler, Teller, George, Hsw
ley, Beck and Sherman, the motion to
refer was rejected and the resolution
adopted. 1t reads:
Resolved, That the Attorney General
be requested to investigate the issuance
of letters patent to Msgnus Swenson, oil
date october 10, 1887, and if in his iudg
ment the same is invalid on any ground
or was procured by reason of information
obtained from experiments made by thu
Government, and, If in his judgment, {
suit can be maintained in the name of tn,
United States, to commence such sui
promptly 10 have the same cancelled o.
the use of the same by said Swenson, o.
any one claiming under him, perpetuallI
en- joined"
Senator Butler offered a resolution
which wss adopted, directing the Judiciar,
Committee TO enquire snd report whether
in the present state OF the law, the Govern
ment has the power, or the Attorney
General of the United States the authorlt!
to institute judicial proceedings to vacat
patent for an invention on any groun,
whatever.
The Senate then took up the bill introduce
by Mr., Stewart last Monday, to provide TO
the issue of coin certificates to circulate {
money, and was addressed by that Senate
in explanation and support OF the bill. Tn
purpose Of the bill is to allow the deposit Q
ny mint or assay Office of gold and silve
bullion in quantities not less than fy
ounces OF gold, or eighty ounces Of silver
and the receipt therefor of coin certificate
which are to be legal tender; to have til
existing gold and silver certificates cal
celled when received at the Treasury;
have no gold coined hereafter, except
! necessary to redeem obligations expressl
payable in coin; to have the bullion r
ceived der this act melted into bars an
deposited in the Treasury; and to repe,
the act of the 28th of February, 1878, r
curing the coinage of 1000, 600 silver do
lars monthly.
Referring to the demonstration of silv
!, by Congress in 1873, Mr.. Stewart said tn
, that act was done 80 secretly that even Il
, President of the United States was igno
ant of 1t two years afterwards, when
sent a special message to Congress recon
2 mending the opening of new minis to col
! silver dollars, 30 as TO be able TO carry Of
the law to resume specie payments and
course, when the President was ignoral
r OF II, the Secretary Of the Treasury, wi
. must have sent the special message, mu
!. also have been ignorant of it, and Congre
itself was ignorant Of it, If silver, he sal
were made valueless, being no longer US
as money its production won
cease and the failure to NO
silver mines would result
s diminishing by one-third the product
gold which now comes from silver OF
But the silver mining industry, prosecut
with intelligence and vigor, would furni
Y the world with gold and silver, keepi
pace with the increase Of population.